Printing press



Jan. 3, 1928.

B. DUFF ET AL PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 12, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I? V EN TORS A TTORNEY.

Jan. 3, 1928.

B. DUFF ET AL,

PRINTING PRESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Auz. 12, 925

Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,796

B. DUFF ET AL,

PRINTING PRES S Filed Aus:. 12.- 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN 0S.

Patented Jan. 1928.

' BERT nurrnrm WALTER F. iciirn'eivmn, OF/DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

rnm'rxne PRESS.

App1ioatio1rfi1ed August 12,1925. s riarno. 49,732.

This invention relates to printing machines and has special reference to one par} ticularly adapted for .the printing of checks such asusedin banking or, such institutions where large numbers of checksare Written daily. I

lhe principal object of our present invention is to provide such a inachine more practical. and .efiicientthan those heretofore known.

Other lesser objects and advantages will appear in the further description of the in vention; i j

Referring now to the accompanying-drawings, forming part of this applicationand in whichlike reference characters indicate like parts: v Figure 1 is a topv plan View of one of the improved check writing machines, showing. theplaten open: p v I Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figurel Figure 53 board: V t

Figure l is a section taken on the line 4:f t Figure 2: 7

Figure 5 is an end view of the platen showing the automatic check feeding de vice: e

Figure 6 isa side elevationof Figure 5: Figure 7 is a fragmental' section on the line 7-47, Figure 4; showing the type returningmechanism only; j v

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the type returning quadrant hub:

Figure 9 is a vertical section on the line 9 9 Figure a sho *ingthe platen operatilig mechanism only: I

Figure 10 is identical with Figure 9 illustrating the inking mechanism only: i

Figure 11 is a verticalsection on the line l1-11 Figure 4; in the act of printing.

Figure 12 is an' enlarged combined plan view and side elevation of the preferred form of belt for carrying the type:

Figure 13 is a colnbined'side and end elevation of the type, which are carried by the belt; Figure 14 is paper feeding platen;

Figure 15 is an elevation, partly 1n'see tion, at right angles to Figure 14; and

Figure 16 is an enlarged transverse section of the-inking roller.

an enlarged elevation of the mechanism carried by the is an enlarged section of the key I The complete unit isj comparatively small, not ;exceecl1 ng materially, in width, the length of an ordinary check, andfsomew'hat greater in length than in width, andis pref- Y erably portable so as to be moved from place to place. Thehousing of the press is substantial] rectangularin plan view and has a stepped upper surface, there being three different planes-1, 2 and 3 u] )on"said upperv surface on top'o't' the housing. The housing is preferably of suitable. sheet metal mounted upon a wooden or other comparatively thick base illustrated at 4c, thesidelwallsof the housing being illustrated at 5fa nd 6. Spaced inwardly ofthe side Wallsf5 and 6 are parallel mechanism supporting walls 7 and 8, and supported intermediate of and by these walls 7 and 8 are the belt carrying shelves or. platforms 9, 10 and 11. The outer edge 0f,each platforln terminates in-a suitable-horizontal slot in the face or front wall of the presshousing, and at the rear: most edge of each. platform. is a horizontally disposedshaft 13, each:oif which carries a series of thin rollers 14 about each one of which is a type carrying belt 1 5.; the type being illustratedat 16. Each'belt furthermore carries an, upright manipulating trig:-

ger 17 which protrudes upwardly through one of the keyboardplanes l 2 or The key board surfaces or planes are corrugated as" clearly shown in' Figure ii of the draws 'ings it being the only illustration deemed necessaryto show their detailed construction, as in the other views they are simplyshown as level surfaces. The key board or plane 3 is employed for the type which indicate. the dates on the-check tobe written and are marked as shown in Figure lfor the month, day, andyear; these typebeing presented forprinting through the uppermost slot in the faceof the press as. they are adjusted into position over the edge of theplatform 1.1; In the key board or plane 2 the corrugations are marked with theletters of vthe alphabet upon one side thereof as clearlyseen in Figure 1. of the drawing, and a'section of said corrugations to the right thereof as viewed from the rear of the machine are designated by thenumerals from 1 to Oinclu payee and amount of the check. The corrugations in the key board 1 are designated by i a letter of the alphabet to permit of the presenting of the worded amount of the check through the lowermost slot in the face of the press.

Each belt irrespective of its series is operated inthe following manner:

The index linger of the operators hand is placed in the concaved corrugation whose designation is previously selected, be it a month-in the year, letter of the alphabet, figure, or word, when the thumb of the same hand of the operator is engaged rearwardly of the trigger 17 on the desired belt, when said trigger 1s brought up to the groove in which'tlie index linger 1s resting, thus presenting the type carrying the designation initially selected to its respective groove on the face of the press, ready to be engaged by the platen thereof.

Forwardly of the forward limit of each series of slots in the key boards 1 and 2 are transverse'return bars 18and 19, the former occurring below the'key board 1 and the latteeth formed therein, the gears 26 being held by the engagement of said pin 34 beneath again-st'the gears 24 by means of expansive spirals prings 27. The gears 26'mesh with and are operated by the toothed quadrants 28 whichare mounted upon the transverse shaft 29,1'otatably carried within the walls of the press and to one side of which latter is mounted upon said'shaft the upright operating'handle bar or crank 30. Each quadrant28 has a. hub 31 thereupon having a notch 32 therein which is engagedby the pin 33 fixedto the shaft 29 when the latter is rotated backwardly in respect to the press, so

that when the operating crank or handle 30 is pulled backwardly and downwardly it will carry with it the quadrants 28, and, the uppermost. corner of each being equipped with a laterally projectingpin 34, will eventually beheldin their extreme backward position the free end of the dog 35 pivotally mountedas at 36 upon a suitable bracket 37, the opposite end of said dogs (as there is one upon either side of the machine) being pivotally attached as at 38 to the twisted arouate'l-y shaped pitman' 39, its opposite end being slotted as at 40 and engaged over the extremityof the pin 33 which extends beand hold the latter from being returned by the action of the contractile springs 43, the

object of which is to permit the release of the locking plate, subsequently described.

Now when the shaft 29 is returned to its normalposition with the lever 30 upright,

such occurring by the action of the lever returning contractile spring 44-which is located centrally of the press and connected to. the crank arm 45'keyed to the shafti29 just as it reaches its return limit the pin will engage the outer endof the slot 40 in the lever 39 andv give it a slight jerk which will release the hold of the dog 35 on the pin 34 and thus free the quadrants 28.

"When the quadrants 28 are thus freed and drawn forwardly again to normal position.

by the action of the springs 43 previously described, they Wlll rotate the gears 26 in anti-clockwise tlllQCtlOIl or the reverse of their previous action, thus simultaneously rotating in the same direction the gears 24 by virtue of their ratchet connection with the gears '27 This action, as is obvious, will carry the racks 23 backwardly together with the bars 18 and 19 supported thereupon, and these bars, passing above the two series of belts, will engage any and all triggers 17 which may be at all advanced for printing purposes and return them to normalcy ready.

for subsequent use.

The shaft 29' has also fixed thereto'a lever 46 adjacent each end thereof and-internie dlate of the spaced sidewalls of the press. These levers snnultaneously operate both the type locking plate and the platen of the press, so that prior to the action just described of returning tonormal position the type locking plate will have beeuunlocked, such unlocked position being clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings. This plate is illustrated at 47 and is pivotally supported upon the front wall12 ofthe pressias at 48. y 7 V There is a horizontally concaved recess 49 in the upper extremity of the face 12 and a similar, though slightly deeper, concaved recess 50 in the lower extremity thereof, and thelocking plate 47 has an inwardly projecting arcuate lip- 51 which registers with the concave 50 in the face below the pivotal point of said locking plate when the latter is unlocked, and it is-also provided with the somewhat similar lip 52 at the upper edge which registers with the lower portion of the concave 49 when the plate 47 is locked; this plate of coursebeing provided with slots that register with the. slots on the face 12 through which'the type protrude,

and when the plate 47 is in its locked position the type protruding therethrough'cannotimove. I y The'locking and unlocking of the plates occurs by the action of the inking roller 53 whiclris yieldably. carried in the slotted free -ends of the levers 54, pivoted asat 55, one

at either side of the press, and which levers rest in the forked free endsof the arms which are keyed to and operate up and down by the rotation of the shaft 29. In these forked extremities of the arms 46 are small. rollers indicated at 56 for anti-frlctlonal' support of the levers 54. Thus it will be t seen that when the shaft 29 is rocked backwardly as before described ust prlor to theactionof the machine which'returns the type to normalcy the inking roller 53 w1ll be raised into the uppermost concave and the locking plate held in position ready for the roller to the uppermost concave 49, and the to its open position, spaced away from the act of printin accomplished. This position of the inking roller and platen are clearly shown in Figure 11 .of'the drawings, the

platen being pivotally mounted in the front corners of the press as at 64.

he roll of blank paper to be printedupon is indicated at 65, it being carried upon the spindle 66 mounted in the brackets 67 on the back of the platen 60. The paper leads inwardly and upwardly intermediate of. two feeding rollers 68 and 69, they being mounted upon spaced shafts 70 and 71, re-,

spectively. Externally of the sides of the platen and upon the shafts and '71 are intermeshing'spur gears 72 and 76, respectively, and adjacent each gear 76 is a somewhat wider spur gear 77, each being 00- operatively connected with itsadjacent' gear 76 by a ratchet hub, as clearly shown in Figure 15, such ratchet connection being maintained by the expansive spiral spring 78. An arcuately shaped rack 7 9 is pivoted upon the pivotal connection 48 of the lock mg plate extending outwardlyso that their free ends (one being upon either side of the press) mesh with the gears 77; providing means whereby when the platen-is brought up against the type for printing purposes, the paper feeding rollers remain stationary, the gears 77 operating backwardly in respect to their ratchet engagement with the gears However when the platen is returned type, the revolving of the gears 77 in the opposite direction by virtue of their contact with the arcuate racks: 79-w1ll forcibly rotate thefeeding rollers as is obvious and ad vance the paper one step forcing the printed portion thereof above the free 'endyof the platen, simultaneously presenting. a new unit of paper for the next act of printing. is obvious that the inking roller must, during Itheopening of the platen, traverse downwardly over' the type and, in 1ts extreme lowermostposition, open the type locking plate, permitting, if desired, rearrangement 'of the type for the following check to be printed. v

The free end of the platen 60 is provided with a shear or cutting knife indicated at 80 which is yieldably support-edv at its ends upon the springcontrolled bolts 81,.and the printed sheet passes between itand the upper edge of the platen 60. This knife 80 extends inwardly normally permitting of free passage of the paper when fed between it and the platen, but when the platen is brought tightly against the type locking plate during the act of printing the knife 80 will be forced inwardly against the upper edge of the platen andthus automatically sever the printed check from the blank paper, and when the last, check is printed it may be'reinoved by pinching'manually the cutting knifeagainstthe paper. The inking roller 53 is preferably of porous rubber, having a hollow core filled with ink holding elements, such aswaste,

sponge, or the like, about the supporting shaft thereof.

It will be noted that no specific means is provided for the return to normalcy of the type carrying belts in the keyboard 3 as they provide the date only, which may remain constant during intermittent periods and can be readily returned to normalcy .by hand.

It is apparent that any desired fixed permanent printingto be had upon each check may be accomplished by placing suitable fonts carrying sameintermediate of the slots in the face 12 ofthe press, such fonts being indicated at 82 in Figure 10 of the draw-v ings. p

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s: i

1. A printing press of the character described comprising a housing, a stepped upper surface upon said housing forming three separate keyboards, means in each keyboard for presenting selective type for printing, a platen, an inking roller, a type locking plate, and means; for simultaneously operating the inking roller, the type locking plate and the platen. i

2. A printing press of the character describedembodying a housing, a plurality of series of movable type within the housing, means for selectively moving the type to printing position, means for lockingthe type mesevse in such position, a platen, an iinking roller,

means for sii'nultaneously operatingwthe platen, the type locking means, and the inking roller, and automatically controlled -1neans forreturn1ng the type toinor maley.

In testimony whereof \VG hereunto affix our signatures; r

BERT DUFF, WALTER F. KLINGMAN. 

